Rebellion of Pugatchef

Surprised and dazzled at his unexpected success, looking with pride at the niunerous tribes and immense barbarian army devoted to him, Pugatchef believed himself really the mighty sovereign whose name he usurped; forgot his engagements, ceased to be a hypocrite, adopted the imperial insignia, established a court, named his ministers, instituted orders of knighthood, and distributed honours and dignities among his friends. In the delusion of his presumption and victories, he would never admit any undertaking, however unreasonable, to be impracticable, nor the existence of any obstacle, which the energy of his will might not overcome; but he failed, by miscalculation, to pick up scattered diamonds at his feet, which, according to Shakspere, are at some one period of every man's life within his reach. He lost undoubtedly some precious moments for action, which if promptly seized would have saved him, and changed the destiny of the Russian empire: he neglected, too, soon the means which served him so well; cast off the mask, and showed himself such as he was in reality. Vexed and excited by the desperate resistance of Orenburg, instead of mastering his passions, he abandoned himself wantonly to all sorts of disgusting excesses and atrocious cruelty. There was an excellent opportunity for the accomplishment of his projects at that time. In consequence of the war with Turkey, the celebrated field-marshal, Romantzof, could not weaken his army on the Danube; and Moscow was without troops, and full of serfs hating their masters. They were all prepared to join heart and hand with Pugatchef, who certainly had at his disposal more means than any other impostor in bygone ages, for founding a new Russian dynasty. By an unpardonable blunder, or an unwise policy, he openly avowed the dangerous intention of exterminating the Russian nobility; and to convince his friends that his words were in harmony with his actions, he peremptorily ordered to be put to death, with their wives and children, all the nobles who fought against him. Being also well aware that Peter III. spoke, with great fluency, the German language; and dreading that it should be known that he did not understand a word of it, he summoned before him all the German officers who were taken prisoners by his army, and, at a preconcerted sign which he had made to his guard, they were all put to the sword without mercy.